The Roomba 960 is iRobot’s cheaper app-driven robot vacuum
The $900 WiFi-connected Roomba 980 is pretty exorbitant for many folks, nice as it is, so Robot has launched the $700 Roomba 960. The new model has a less powerful motor and battery, but retains the WiFi connectivity, floor mapping and app control of the high-end model. The price is the same as Neato’s BotVac Connected, so it could sway techy users who really want the extra control a smartphone brings. By contrast, the cheapest, non-connected Roomba 650 is $375.
The new model includes room mapping, adaptive navigation that lets you vacuum multiple rooms and sensors that find particularly dirty areas to focus on. It can run up to 75 minutes, compared to two hours for the Roomba 980 and three for the BotVac Connected, according to the manufacturers. Cleaning-wise, it has brushes and debris extractors to get hard-to-reach dust and has up to five times the air performance of the low-end models, iRobot says.
The WiFi and Bluetooth connected iRobot app lets you schedule and customize cleaning, start and stop the vacuum and install updates. In the connected robot vacuum arena, It also competes with the more powerful, but much more expensive $1,000 Dyson 360 Eye. The Roomba 360 now available in the US and Canada for $700, and will come to Japan and Europe in the third quarter of 2016.
Via: Bizjournals
Source: iRobot
Dieter Rams and Over 100 Top Designers File Amicus in Support of Apple in Longstanding Samsung Lawsuit
Calvin Klein, Dieter Rams, Norman Foster, and over 100 of the world’s leading design professionals have filed a lengthy amicus brief [PDF] in support of Apple in an over five year old patent lawsuit against rival Samsung.
Apple was awarded nearly $1 billion in damages in 2012 after Samsung was found to have copied the “look and feel” of the iPhone, but a significant part of the decision was reversed in 2015, leaving Samsung owing $548 million — a sum that Samsung has paid but continues to appeal. The patent lawsuit began back in 2011 and has since made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where Apple is fighting for it to remain.
The design professionals, which have collectively provided services to Apple, American Airlines, Coca-Cola, Ford, General Electric, GM, Google, IBM, Knoll, Lenovo, LG, Louis Vuitton, NASA, Nike, Polaroid, Porsche, Starbucks, Target, Xerox, and even Samsung itself, among others, believe that Apple was entitled to the full amount of damages, citing the importance of industrial design.
Tags: Samsung, lawsuit
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Photos Show First Functional, Powered On iPhone 7
While several photos depicting what is believed to be the iPhone 7 have surfaced in recent months, most if not all of the components have been early prototypes, design molds, or well-designed Chinese counterfeits. A new series of photos have leaked, however, that quite possibly could be the real deal.
The first photos of what is claimed to be a real, fully assembled iPhone 7, shared by GeekBar on Chinese microblogging service Weibo, show the smartphone in a powered on state running Apple’s internal testing software called SwitchBoard. The photos were first spotted and vetted by French website NWE.
The device itself lines up with previous photos, showing no headphone jack, dual speakers, a larger rear-facing iSight camera, repositioned antenna bands, and a slightly longer earpiece cutout. The device still has a home button, but whether it is touch sensitive as rumored cannot be clearly distinguished.
Apple is widely expected to introduce the tentatively named iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus next month, with noted leaker Evan Blass pointing towards U.S. retail availability on Friday, September 16. If true, Apple could begin pre-orders in first-wave launch countries one week earlier on Friday, September 9.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Tag: nowhereelse.fr
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Nexus Marlin vs Nexus 6P: What’s the rumoured difference?
Google’s next Nexus devices are set to arrive in the next couple of months. They have been codenamed Marlin and Sailfish and there have been numerous leaks regarding their specs appear already.
In light of this, we have put the rumoured specs for the Nexus Marlin up against the current Nexus 6P to see how they compare and what the differences are based on the speculation.
Nexus Marlin vs Nexus 6P: Design
The Nexus Marlin is claimed to be the larger of the two Nexus devices and rumours suggest it will be based on the HTC 10. It has been suggested there will be a fingerprint sensor on the rear like the HTC flagship, along with speakers at the bottom.
Another rumour has also claimed there will be no camera bump. Measurements and weight have yet to be suggested, but if the Marlin does take from the HTC 10, a metal build is likely.
The Nexus 6P, made by Huawei, features an all metal build and measures 159.3 x 77.8 x 7.3mm with a weight of 178g.
It has dual front-facing stereo speakers and there is a circular fingerprint sensor on the rear.
A black strip runs across the top of the back housing the camera lens and flash.
Nexus Marlin vs Nexus 6P: Display
The Nexus Marlin is rumoured to be coming with a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with a pixel resolution of 2560 x 1440. If this is the case, the Marlin will have a pixel density of 534ppi.
The Nexus 6P has a display that’s slightly larger at 5.7-inches. It is also AMOLED technology and it too has a Quad HD resolution for a slighty lower pixel density of 518ppi. It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4.
The size difference in the two devices being compared here means the Nexus Marlin will theoretically offer sharper and crisper images compared to the Nexus 6P, assuming the rumours are accurate. That said, the difference isn’t likely to be noticeable to the human eye.
We’d also expect the Marlin to feature Gorilla Glass 4 too.
Nexus Marlin vs Nexus 6P: Camera
Rumours suggest the Nexus Marlin will come with a 12-megapixel rear snapper, coupled with an 8-megapixel front camera.
The HTC 10 also features a 12-megapixel rear camera with an aperture of f/1.8 so perhaps the same sensor will be on board the Marlin if HTC is the manufacturer.
The Nexus 6P has a 12.3-megapixel rear camera with an aperture of f/2.0. The front camera is 8-megapixels with an aperture of f/2.4. There is a dual-flash on the rear of the Nexus 6P and IR laser-assisted autofocus.
Nexus Marlin vs Nexus 6P: Hardware
The Nexus Marlin is said to be coming with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset, supported by 4GB of RAM and either 32GB or 128GB of internal memory. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a 64GB model too though.
The leaks also suggest there will be a 3450mAh battery capacity on board the Marlin, along with USB Type-C.
The Nexus 6P has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB of RAM. It is available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB model, none of which have microSD support. Nexus devices don’t do microSD so don’t expect that on the Marlin either.
A 3450mAh battery is on board the Nexus 6P and it was one of the first devices to arrive with USB Type-C.
Nexus Marlin vs Nexus 6P: Software
The Nexus Marlin will arrive with Android Nougat and everything the new software brings. It sticks to the material design of Marshmallow but introduces more information in places like settings so users will have to dig around less.
The Nexus 6P launched on Android Marshmallow but it will be updated to Nougat so the software experience between these two devices should be almost identical.
Nexus Marlin vs Nexus 6P: Conclusion
Based on the rumours, the Nexus Marlin will be slightly smaller than the Nexus 6P but still offer a premium design and improvements in hardware, including a faster processor, more RAM and a bigger battery capacity.
It looks like the camera resolutions of the Nexus Marlin could be very similar to that of the Nexus 6P though and the display resolution and technology also seems to be the same.
This is of course all based on speculation for now but we will update this feature and our Next Nexus rumour round up as more leaks appear.
- Next Nexus: Release date, rumours and everything you need to know
- Nexus Marlin vs Nexus Sailfish: What’s the rumoured difference?
Nucleus is an Alexa-enabled touchscreen intercom
Most people have smartphones and tablets (sometimes, in multiples) these days and don’t actually need an intercom. But if you’re looking for one and want something more feature-packed than your typical walkie-talkie-like variants, you may want to check out Nucleus. It’s a touchscreen tablet/intercom that comes integrated with Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa and its many voice commands. You know how you can ask Alexa through Amazon Echo to add eggs to your grocery list, tell you the weather forecast or play Prime Music/iHeartRadio/TuneIn? Well, you can do all those with Nucleus, as well.
The company was able to integrate Alexa into its product after Amazon opened it up to developers and device makers last year. But the voice assistant isn’t the device’s only feature. You can use Nucleus not just to talk to people in your own home, but also to video call other households who have the device. Say, your elderly grandparents who just can’t remember how to work Skype. Nucleus also has accompanying Android and iOS apps that you can use to access it when you’re out. For instance, you can fire up the app to check on your kid’s room, where the intercom serves as a baby monitor.
Nucleus was first showcased at CES 2015, and its creators started accepting pre-orders late last year. It will finally be available today through Amazon and Lowe’s, which will sell it in 500 locations across the US and on its website. Take note that it might leave quite a big hole in your wallet: one will set you back $249, though you can get two for $199 each.
Source: Nucleus
The sun finally sets on China’s lunar rover
China’s Jade Rover has led a pretty interesting life even by the standards of most devices sent to examine another celestial body. It began its tour of duty on the moon back in 2013, died and was resurrected in 2014 before making a huge discovery in 2015. But now, alas, Xinhua News is reporting that China’s State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry has confirmed the droid’s second and permanent demise.
It’s a sad day for the ‘bot’s social media following, but China can be rightly proud of Jade Rover’s record-breaking longevity. Not only has it had the longest operational period of any craft sent to the moon, it also determined that the moon was made of different types of rock. In addition, Jade Rover was only expected to survive for around three months, but in fact survived from December 14th, 2013, through to August 2016. Not bad for a little rabbit.
Via: Motherboard
Source: Xinhua News
Yuneec’s SkyView drone goggles double as a private home theater
The world of “first person view” (FPV) flying — where pilots don video specs to see what the drone sees — isn’t new, but consumer-friendly headsets like Yuneec’s SkyView goggles might make it more accessible. Stick SkyView on your noggin’ (pulled-up socks optional), connect a compatible controller — like Yuneec’s own Typhoon H — and you’ll be flying from the best seat in the house. Inside the $250 SkyView is a 5-inch, 16:9, 720p display, and it connects to any HDMI video source, not just drones.
Most FPV goggles (like the popular Fat Shark series) use antennas to receive video wirelessly from RC planes or quadcopters, so these won’t appeal to hardcore racers. But, for more casual pilots it’s an easy, relatively inexpensive way to get into FPV — and the HDMI input means these can double as a personal (if a little goofy) home theater, similar to Avegant’s Glyph which cost $700, and is also 720p.
You’ll have noticed the SkyView looks more than a little like a virtual reality headset, but think of it more as a personal theater. There’s no head tracking or sensors, it just takes an HDMI signal and pipes it into your eyes. You can of course plug your Xbox or PS4 in for some intense private gaming — the field of view is a decent 75 degrees — but don’t expect to be able to “look around.” You could also plug your iPhone in (with an adapter) and view anything you can do on your phone. Don’t worry, there’s a headphone jack on the headset, too, if you don’t want people to hear whatever it is you’re viewing in privacy.
Source: Yuneec
Disney 16-bit classics including ‘Aladdin’ coming to GOG.com
Nothing says ’90s gaming like the Sega Genesis and 16-bit Disney classics like Aladdin. You can bathe in that nostalgia again thanks to GOG.com and Disney’s re-release of Aladdin, The Lion King and Jungle Book. Those titles, originally developed for the Super NES and Sega Genesis, were groundbreaking at the time for the hand drawn “Digicel” tech used. All were eventually ported to the NES, Amiga, PC and other systems, but GOG cheekily said that the Aladdin update is based on the “obviously superior” Sega/PC version.
The titles were “meticulously updated” and have never been officially available on PC or consoles before — despite numerous NES and Sega classic collections. The company adds that the “original graphics, sound and gameplay” have been preserved. Each DRM-free title is $10, or you can get all three for $20.
ICYMI: One Pen to rule all and video you can manipulate
Today on In Case You Missed It: Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab formulated a way to interact with existing videos, so they can prod and move objects within the frame. The Cronzy Pen samples colors from anything, anywhere, and mixes its own ink the match any shade. It’s on IndieGoGo now so good luck scoring your crowdfunded thing.
If you want to check out video of Jupiter’s moon Io, the Washington Post explained it all well; and the charming paper craft animations from yelldesign are here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
YouTube Red Brings Ad-Free Videos to Company’s Kid-Friendly App
In a post on the company’s official blog, YouTube yesterday announced that its paid subscription service — dubbed YouTube Red — will now encompass YouTube Kids, enabling “a whole new set of features for the family to enjoy” whenever parents sign up for Red. Available in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, the move comes about 15 months after YouTube Kids came under fire by some prominent child advocacy groups, who claimed the app was deceptively targeting its underage viewers with ads.
Stemming from restrictions placed on kids entertainment from the 1970’s, the worry centered around a child’s undeveloped ability to repel targeted advertisements, since most don’t understand that they’re being targeted in the first place. The groups asked Google to look much deeper into YouTube Kids because of such concerns, even going so far as to ask the company to remove all of its popular “unboxing videos” from the kid version of YouTube because, “They’re an ad, in essence, for toys.”
YouTube is now hoping that bundling Kids into its $9.99 per month Red service will address some of these concerns. The biggest bullet point is that paying for Red brings ad-free videos to everywhere on YouTube, which will now include Kids for families under the Red umbrella, the company saying that this is a way to “let your kids learn and laugh along with their favorite characters without paid ads.” Google also dropped a few other pros of its new Kids-friendly bundle, which essentially echo the benefits of YouTube Red’s main service.
Parents who sign up for YouTube Red enable a whole new set of features for the family to enjoy, including:
Ad-free videos: Let your kids learn and laugh along with their favorite characters without paid ads.
Offline videos: In the car or on grandma’s couch—automatically have videos when you need ‘em, even if you don’t have a connection.
Uninterrupted music: Keep family sing-alongs going while you use other apps on your phone.
There might still be cause for concern for parents out there, however, since the only direct removal of advertising comes in the miniature ads sometimes placed before videos. In the original list of concerns and complaints from 2015, the FTC was asked to investigate specific aspects of YouTube’s basic structure in its new Kids app, especially “branded channels,” like one for McDonald’s, which could potentially “take advantage of children because they do not understand that the entire channel is actually advertising.”
YouTube has made no such move to moderate content like this in its app for children, and originally stated last year that it “consulted with numerous partners and child advocacy and privacy groups” when building YouTube Kids. In today’s blog post, the company said that more updates to the Kids app are incoming, and hinted at more regulatory control for parents in the future: “we’ll be making some changes to the app that’ll give parents more choice on how to customize the content that appears or doesn’t appear in their YouTube Kids experience.”
YouTube Kids is available for free on the iOS App Store. [Direct Link]
Tags: YouTube, YouTube Kids, YouTube Red
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